Recipe

Cajeta, a caramel sauce used in traditional Mexican desserts, is a terrific dessert sauce to have in your repertoire for instant ice cream sundaes. Think of the method for making cajeta as a slow, steady science experiment whose end result is an excellent and easy sauce.

Yield: Makes about 16 crepes; serves 4

Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup milk

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans toasted

Confectioners sugar, for sprinkling

1 pint fresh raspberries

Directions

To make the cajeta, place the unopened can of milk in a heavy saucepan and cover completely with water. Over very low heat, bring the water to a bare quiver and simmer very gently 3 hours, adding more water as necessary to keep the can covered. Wearing an oven mitt, turn the can over and cook for 2½ hours more. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight.

Heat a small nonstick skillet or omelet pan over medium high heat. Pour in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the batter, swirling the pan to coat evenly. Cook until small bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook on the second side until golden. Slide onto a plate and make the remaining crepes in the same way, stacking them on the plate as you go.

To serve, preheat the oven to 250°F. Open the can of cooked condensed milk and stir well with a fork, blending to an even, thick consistency. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the cajeta evenly over the surface of 1 crepe. Scatter some of the toasted pecans over the top and roll into a cylinder. Repeat with the remaining crepes, and reheat in the oven for a few minutes. Arrange 4 crepes on each plate. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, scatter the raspberries over the top, and serve.